


The Sweetness of Life

by Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Community: fma_fic_contest, Gen, POV Female Character, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 00:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2712263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: The Mustang family survives. <br/>Disclaimer: Hiromu gave us hints with backstories; it’s not enough.  So I write fanfic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sweetness of Life

When they were little, no one bothered telling them to ‘be sweet’. Be kind, yes, be obedient, definitely, but sweet? Only when it might buy them something they needed. Or to survive. So the Mustang children, Chris and her younger brother, Ryan, learned at the knees of their parents and grandparents, to be good, to always - _always_ \- listen, and to be crafty, rather than sweet. 

It stood them in good stead, growing up – that training their parents gave them ( _blend in. Be charming. Listen. Don’t stand out too much, except in the way that you believe will keep your plans hidden_ ). Perhaps the Armstrong family was known for upholding traditional alchemy and military prowess, and the Grummans were known for fine art of flirting. The Mustangs preferred keeping their skills to themselves – except, of course, for the notable people who employed them for what they could do. 

It was a good system, Chris thought, shaking her boobs and sweet-talking men (and sometimes women) to collect the information her employers needed. Her little brother, Ryan, was just as good at it as she was, though he stumbled a bit upon meeting a minor princess from Xing – asking her to be his wife, rather than banging her, and getting what they needed to complete the job. 

Chris had to admit, the boy child her brother got on the girl was adorable; a sweet-smelling bundle (well, sweet-smelling most of the time; the other times, she’d hand him back to his parents) with a brilliant giggle and snapping eyes like the lowering sky. They named him ‘Roy’, in honor of his dad and also his mother’s bloodlines, even if there was no way she could return home with the dishonor of bearing a common-blood child. 

To this day, Chris doesn’t know what happened to her sister-in-law or her brother. Had some deal gone sour? Was it simply an accident? Did Xing decide to come calling, and destroy their princess who’d turned her back on the empire? Whatever had happened, it left Ryan and his beautiful girl gone, and a crying child behind. 

There wasn’t enough intelligence in the world to make up for their loss, but Chris dried her eyes, and made her plans, just like her parents and grandparents had taught her. She took that little boy, who just wanted to know where his momma and daddy were, who didn’t understand they weren’t ever coming back, and knew she’d raise him up, just like she and his dad had been, to be slick, to be obedient, to be cunning. And, to make sure he got his way, to be sweet.

Because Chris would show whoever took out her baby brother and his wife: the Mustangs would survive. 


End file.
